Intrusion Oscar de la Renta 2002 Eau de Parfum

I think reviews complaining about the longevity, must be for the lighter, more floral eau de toilette - which I neverhave bought. I first purchased this in 2002, (the edp) when I was v v young - one of my first perfumes (the first was Chanel Cristalle edt, which I still love, but is hard to find and perhaps, a little too dated for some (oakmoss whisper/soft vetiver) although Tom Ford's Vert Boheme was the closest thing to a direct copy I haveever purchased, albeit slightly stronger - so it's still something good & I don't care, I still love it & do wear it.) I tend to like perfumes with a fresh element - which this has but - but it's not your average fresh edp - there's much more to it. It's classy, quite refined, & makes you feel very 'put together.' The bottle WAS a beautiful, v heavy, short, rectangular shape - with an also heavy (fake) tortoiseshell cap - it looked so luxurious and desirable - when I spotted it as I walked into the dept store (Debenhams - sadly now lacking from the UK high street - Corona finished it off, but that store was a staple of my childhood.) I wasn't actually looking for a new perfume then, when I tended to stick with 1 or 2, but the moment I saw it, it sparked my interest, and I tested it & really liked it + the bottle & the marketing was very enticing - & I literally had to go back that afternoon and buy it. It has a slightly almost spicy, opening - which is apparently star anise, which makes the initial part a little unusual - maybe that's why it's called 'Intrusion' - bc many ppl say the perfume doesn't match the name (& I agree the edt is a little non descript) but for me, the edp is not - mandarin opening gives the freshness I enjoy, there's some grapefruit, but it doesn't hv that sour note that it often has in some perfumes - it is all, v well blended, some bergamot & neroli - leading to heart notes of lily & water jasmine - the lily being the star, I think, but though I cannot bear L'eau D'Issey - much as I love all things Issey Miyake, but here, everything is harmonious, and the citrus and other notes lift the main accord and it's lovely. I do not like gardenia v much, but I wouldn't say I notice it particularly, bc all is so well blended - nothing but that slightly discordant (in a good way) opening note (or notes) in the beginning, stick out. As said - those slightly discordant notes in the beginning really make a difference too - on Fragrantica I read not just star anise, but coriander, and I thought maybe that is it - but usually I loathe it with a passion - coriander growing in the garden, nothing worse, when all the lavender & rosemary in the summer smell's so soft and relaxing - & then somebody gives you a coriander plant & it ruins it with it's horrendous over powering, almost soapy awfulness - can't have it in the garden at all, am not fond of it in my food - but if it's in here, I don't notice it. I like many Alberto Morillas concoctions, despite ppl calling him 'Chemical Albie,' here, he worked with Jacques Cavalier as well, & the result is understated but not boring, claasy, even elegant, but with some freshness, and despite the bottle (not the flower printed edt!) now being tall & plain, (with a now non descript silvery metal looking cap) the perfume is not boring & never an afterthought - although it is an easy reach, and something you can just throw on, which will make you feel 'put together and 'dressed' - but it works fine with jeans and a white linen shirt, as well as something less casual. I don't ever purchase the eau de toilette form - but the eau de parfum would be suitable for most occasions I think - maybe it's not a 'date night' perfume, but it's not something men dislike, I think - obviously it isn't all candy sweetness & vanilla, but I don't find it masculine at all - although I know somebody who's younger brother wanted 'something to spray on' & he liked it so much, she gifted him the bottle & bought another - he loved it, but I think this is certainly more feminine than anything else. Sillage and longevity are not bad at all - I think if you spray at 7am, then a minimal top up after lunch at 2pm (if you wore this to work) would suffice - not saying it would be completely necessary but I think a slight refresh at that time is good - those interesting top notes really do add to it, & the citrus in it always makes me feel refreshed. I think spray 3/4 times at 7am once or twice at 2pm and you will smell cool, clean and as said v elegant - there's something extremely classy about this edp - EL Pleasures I didn't like - too floral & too 'nursey' or maybe even 'young mumsy' - such a mainstream effort I thought, although it smells good enough & many like it - but this is much better, more unusual and it can be picked up from AllBeauty for under £20 per 100ml - which is a complete steal for this kind of quality - but always the eau de parfum! I mention the bottle, bc it's not the most important thing, but when I first bought this way back in the early 00's, I was v in love with the heavy bottle & beautiful cap - it was stunning and felt luxurious when I used it - & that's always appreciated, in perfumes, makes using them something special, but alas, now the bottle is quite plain - not unattractive but somebody who is new to this - will see the current bottle, & cap - & think 'meh' - but the liquid inside is the same - and goodness knows, back then 60mls was almost 4 times the price you now pay for 100mls, so the new packaging has some benefits. As said, quality for price here is excellent, and there's not many settings this is not suitable for, I think it is a classic, and a sterling example of a fairly simple, elegant fragrance for anybody between 18/21 up to whatever. Minimalist (possibly,) but not, 'not interesting' it's something I think can find a place in anybody's collection, and is something which, if you don't know what to wear for a certain occasion, then this will always be appropriate, and may well be something you start to reach for quite often.